Method of trrating cotton fibers and products



W. C. JOHNSON.

METHOD OF TREATING COTTON FIBERS AND PRODUCTS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 15. 1919.

Patented Nov. 15, 1921.

Wilmuo PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM G. JOHNSON, OI MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE.

METHOD or rmr'me corron rmnns Aim raonuc'rs.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 15,1921.

Application filed December 15, 1819. Serial No. 344,867.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM C. JOHNSON, a citizen of the United States, and residing at Memphis, in the county of Shelby and State of Tennessee, have invented a new and useful Improvement in the Method of Treating Cotton Fibers and Products, of which the following specification is a full disclosure.

My invention relates to the art or method of forming condensed blocks of absorbent cotton fibers and to the resultant product.

For the purposes of understanding the present invention it is not essential to show machinery suitable to operating the process on a large commercial scale, inasmuch as the present invention concerns the essential treatment steps and product, irrespect ve of any special mechanical instrumentalltles.

Cottonseed-hulls have long been treated to separate'the fiber from the hull particle, the bran constituting a valuable feed product. The fiber is relatively short and knotty, and so far has not been adopted as a desirable paper pulp.

It is also well known that when such fiber is treated with a solution of caustic soda to dissolve out certain cellular components that the resultant fiber is highly absorbent.

This invention is not limited to the origin of the cotton fibers, but has to do with the treatment of cotton fibers, linters or the like, which are relatively short, knotty and harsh, and it is essential to my process and product, that such fibers be ch mlcally treated to render the fiberyery absorbenuhand then me: chanically treatedto straighten and unify the same. V I M So far, however," no definite place in the arts has beenlfound for this absorbent 'fibei" outside of the use to whichit has been ppt for many years,

der, for which purpose it'hasproved'most successful. But with the ending of the war this market has been absolutely closed and materials of this character have been without a. market. It is the purpose of this invention to find a new and peace-time use for this material which should be manufactured in a large way.

I have discovered that absorbent fibers of this character can be beaten or brushed out to substantially unify and straighten the fiber particles, and that after such treatment, the fiber can be placed in water and flowed into a mold and compressed and dried v1z as the principal 'in-' gredient of gun cotton and smokeless powinto a relatively dense and onderous cubic body having a smooth surfiice, applied to many uses when. there is desired a dense, solid, highly-absorbent body with a smooth surface, such, for instance, as a blotter block as distinguished from an ordinary sheet of blotting paper.

The steps of my invention, therefore, consist in first beating or brushing out absorbent cotton-seed hull fibers or linters; second, mixing the fibers with water; third, flowing the mass into a mold having perforate and imperforate surfaces; fourth, compressing while wet into a solid block; and fifth, drying.

he resultant product is a unitary block,

matted, the respective bein erab surfaces of the cube smooth on the top and bottom. Prefy, the brushing or beating of the chemically prepared fibers is carried to such a point that the compressed and dried block, will be so hard and integral that its surfaces can be touched to a grinding disk, for shaping, smoothing, fitting or finishing the block or its surfaces, and so contouring or surface finishing the block as to adapt it to a particular selected usage.

A mold, such as is illustrated in the accompanying dravi ing, forming a part of this specification, is employed.

igure 1 is a view of the mold.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the product.

It has the slotted of perforated sides 1, the bottom 2, and'the follower or lunger 3. being smooth and imperforate. The fibers are placed in a considerable volume of water and flowed 'j into the mold. The water quickly and freely escapes from the fiber through the perforate mold sections and the plunger is operated as soon as a mold is filled. The fiber is pressed into a condensed body or brick and dried, forming a heavy solid, absorbent fiber block or pad, the

a and processes employed when stocks of this ticularly marlgd and important in comparison to the elaborate and costly machine character are made into paper.

It is essential to the purposes of my invention that the absorbent cotton fibers be relatively uniform and straight, in order to make a smooth surface.

It is also necessary that the fibers to be treated shall be highly absorbent, for the compression of the saturated mass and the free flow of water therefrom under compression make possible that matting and interwebbed condition which they assume under the influence of the compress on and rapid draining, and retain when dried. That is to say, a given fiber mass is mechanically suspended in a much greater volume of water, and at the same time these fibers being so higllly and quickly absorbent, take up water to 'the point of saturation. When compressed, the water flows quickly and freely from the suspended fiber and also the absorbed water is quickly given up by the fibers,'leaving the fibers behind, and cansing the individual fibers to inter-web as the water of suspension and absorption is forced out of the mass.

This fiber by-product is produced on a large scale and has been practically valueless recently. It is therefore absolutely essential to find some very inexpensive method of converting this material into a stable commercial article, and this conjoint objective of a cheap method of production and the formation of a very useful and marketable product, constitute the gist of this invention.

It is unnecessary to show a machine for operating the plunger and mold indicated, or a series of them. At the end of the plunger stroke the mold should be raised to strip the finished block, and they can be made in continuous operations on a large scale.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. The art of formln absorbent cotton fibers into solid bodies, w iich consists in first beating and brushing out the fibers, second, mixing the fibers with water, and flowing into a compressing mold having perforate and imperforate sections, third, ressing the mass while wet into a condensed block and lastly, substantiall drying out the water.

2. The art of ormlng absorbent cotton fibers into compact, solid bodies, which consists in first unifying and straightening the fibers, second, mixing with water, third, compressing and intermatting the saturated fiber mass and imparting a smooth surface thereto, and lastly, in drying the condensed block into a permanent, compact, solid body, having a property of hardness and integrality enabling a machine surfacing or contouring.

3. A highly absorbent cotton fiber block comprising a dense, relatively ponderable solid body, the fibers of which are compacted and intermatted into a definite and substantially permanent structure.

4. A highly absorbent cotton fiber block comprising a dense, relatively ponderable solid body the fibers of which are compacted and intermatted into .a definite and substantially permanent structure, having one of its surfaces substantially and relatively smooth and uniform.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name, as attested by the two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM C. JOHNSON.

\Vitnesses:

D. M. ARMSTRONG, W. B LEWIS. 

